


Carver's Intention

by windsweptfic



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, I have lots of Carver feelings okay, outside pov, ugh I'm so rusty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 04:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windsweptfic/pseuds/windsweptfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a <a href="http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/12606.html?thread=49834558#t49834558">DAI kinkmeme prompt</a>: <i>templar!Carver during the mage-templar war joining up with a band of mages, who don't trust him, but they're injured and tired and fighting a horde of demons, and Carver just comes busting in and when it's all said and done they let him stay with them, wary, /terrified/ because he's the enemy, isn't he? But Carver just quietly helps them heal the old fashioned way, the way he and Garret used to, the way Leandra taught him, and he protects the mages, because he couldn't protect Bethany.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Carver's Intention

**Author's Note:**

> Both Jowan and Carver have done a lot of growing, and they both have their regrets and penances. 
> 
> aka CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT /shakes fist at the sky
> 
> (For those of you who didn't come across the quest, if you let Jowan go he'll eventually change his name to Levyn and start helping people during the Blight.)

The new ones were always jumpy. 

Granted, it wasn't as though Levyn blamed them. Most of the apostates they came across were terrified and ailing, pushed to their limits after so long spent running in fear for their lives. Thedas wasn't a safe place for mages any longer - even the alleged protection of the Circles were no more. The Templars had turned on the mages and the mages had reciprocated in kind, and now being caught doing even the slightest bit of magic could get you lynched.

Levyn had tried to help, as much as he could. The little community he put together in his quiet, hidden sanctuary was ragged, but they were good folk. Some he helped stayed; some moved on. But when they left, he made sure they had enough resources to take care of themselves until they could reach another shelter.

The most recent addition was a small family of a mother and her two children. The older girl had no magic to speak of; it was the little boy with dirt smudged across his face and crippled fear in his eyes that had brought them to Levyn's doorstep. 

Or, well, just a threshold perhaps. The cavern had but one small opening for passage, covered by tree branches and warded with the best spells they could muster. They could do nothing for the wide fissure in the rock overhead that let sunlight filter inside, but the cliffs they dwelt in were steep, and the path to the top treacherous at best. 

It wasn't the most homey place to take refuge, but they made do with what they had, and they did their best to reassure their charges that they had come to a safe place.

_"Get away!"_

However, there was also the matter of Carver.

Levyn turned away from resetting the entrance barriers, magic fading from his hands. The new mother had her son clasped against her legs, fear writ on her gaunt face as her young daughter stood in front of them. The girl had what looked to be a table knife clutched in both hands as she stood her ground before a towering figure in worn, battered Templar armor.

"Get away from them, or by the _Maker_ I'll - I'll -"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Carver replied calmly. He had left his greatsword near his cot - the one closest to the entrance, taken quietly and stubbornly when he'd first arrived - so he was, at least, unarmed. 

Not that it would make a difference should he decide to hurt something, Levyn knew. But after the past few months, he had come to realize that the very last person to hurt innocent mages would be Carver Hawke. 

"He really won't," Levyn affirmed. The girl's eyes darted to him warily. "He's been helping us for a while now."

"But he's a _Templar_."

Levyn opened his mouth to deny the statement, to defend the man who had done so much for them, but Carver cut him off.

"Yes, I am," he said plainly. He lowered himself to one knee as the girl's grip tightened on her knife. "And do you know why I became one?"

She shifted uncertainly. 

"Because...because..."

"Because I want to protect them," Carver said, nodding toward the girl's mother and brother. "And I want to protect you, too."

The stern set of Carver's face softened, revealing a rarely-seen gentleness. Levyn hadn't witnessed him let his guard down often - usually only with children; sometimes with the occasional Mabari - and the difference was marked. Carver looked years younger, his features gentled with a quiet smile; it was only the deep, abiding sorrow in his eyes that spoke of a life lived hard.

"Most of my family were mages, you see," he continued as the tip of the knife dipped. "And I wanted to protect them. That's why I joined the Order - because Templars are supposed to protect mages."

"But not all of them do," the girl said, voice wavering. Carver nodded soberly.

"Not all of them do," he agreed. "But the real Templars do. The ones who became Templars for the right reasons - they do. I do. And I swear that I will never harm your brother, or your mother, or you."

The girl bit her lip. She lowered her knife; and when Carver stretched out a hand, she silently deposited it in his palm. He studied it carefully, running a thumb down the edge of the blade. After a moment he flipped it back over and handed it back, hilt-first, to the surprised girl.

"You're very brave to protect your family," he said gently. "And I'm sure you've been protecting them this whole time. If you come by later, I'll have this sharpened, and I'll show you how to use it properly so you can look after them even better. But until then - let me do the protecting, okay?"

The girl nodded bravely, tears glittering unshed in her eyes. Levyn caught a few of the other mages watching the exchange with quiet fondness; they, too, had been caught by surprise when they first met Carver. But the young man had won them over through the simple act of being who he was, determinedly watching over his charges and taking care of them without a single spark of magic in his body.

Levyn watched as one of the older mages took the little girl by the hand, ushering her and her family toward the tents to get patched up, fed, and clothed. The girl looked over her shoulder at Carver as she was led away. 

"You're doing better with your first impressions."

Carver cast Levyn a wry look as he levered himself to his feet, armor creaking. 

"Their reactions are pretty standard by now."

Levyn let out a quiet hum of agreement. They had already talked about Carver leaving behind his armor, emblazoned as it was with the flaming sword of the Templars. Resources were scarce, but they could find the means to get him a new chestpiece, one that wasn't so worn and didn't come with any markings. The discussion had been brief, however, and Levyn had left still feeling puzzled, but Carver was adamant on keeping the armor - and Levyn was not one to deny anyone what small comforts they had.

"I'm tired of people being afraid of me," Carver admitted quietly. Levyn cast him a surprised glance at the unusual slip of emotion, of admitted weakness. He paused briefly before laying a hand gently on Carver's shoulder.

"They'll learn," he said. "Everyone will have to learn that we don't have to fight each other. Eventually, the war will end."

Carver straightened his back, the guards settling back into place as the stoic protector emerged once more. But the sadness lingered in his eyes as he looked at Levyn with a tired smile.

"Let's see that it does."

**Author's Note:**

> oh god that fucking title
> 
> it's like, 'Jowan's Intention', right
> 
> the quest from DAO
> 
> except now it's about carver
> 
> ...i'm sorry


End file.
